


Reset the Clock

by freolia



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, F/M, Fix-It, I Refuse that ending, M/M, More characters to be added, Post-Endgame, Reluctant time traveller Bucky Barnes, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-25
Updated: 2019-04-25
Packaged: 2020-01-31 19:38:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18598036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freolia/pseuds/freolia
Summary: *ENDGAME SPOILERS. DON'T READ UNTIL YOU'VE SEEN IT.*Steve fails to return on the time pad. Bucky heads after him. Why should he get to keep all the stupid?





	Reset the Clock

**Author's Note:**

> I'm gonna fix that ending.

“So how long will it take?” Bucky looked at Bruce worriedly.

There were just four of them out on the far side of the lake. The sun was setting over the trees and Steve was dressed in white grey and red atop a time pad. Bucky made eye contact with Sam. And they frowned at each other. 

Because when the world was saved, someone had to clean up. And while everyone was reeling and trying to process all that they'd gained back (and lost in the process; the reddest hair Bucky had ever known slipped from his fingers as he thought of it) of course Steve did what he did best. 

Ignored his own problems to solve everyone else's. 

Bruce flicked a few more switches without looking up. “For him, long as it takes. For us, about five seconds.”

Steve held his hand out and Mjolnir flew to him (at last, because the only person Steve really needed to prove himself to was himself. Bucky could have told you he was worthy when he met the kid in the ‘30s). They briefly met eyes, and Steve smiled; the last of the sun slipped out of sight but Bucky was filled with warmth looking at the most beautiful man in the world. It was a smile he knew, warm and heartfelt, the sort of smile which reached his eyes and made you feel like the most important person in the world, but also… not quite. His eyes weren’t quite meeting Bucky's. They were almost looking past him. That always meant trouble. 

“Won’t be a minute.” He said, and then Bruce flicked a switch, and he was gone in a flash of light.

Bucky swallowed down the surge of unease in his throat. Bruce started counting down behind him, “Three, two, one, and…” He flicked a switch.

Nothing happened.

Bucky blinked. “Where is he?”

“I… I don’t know, he must have missed his time mark…” There were clicks and thumps from behind him, Sam ran past him to get to Bruce, but Bucky just stood there. He couldn’t look away. What if he blinked, and he never saw Steve again?

Minutes ticked by. Still nothing. Bucky ignored the ball of tension in his stomach. Stupid punk was just making them worry. He’d be back in a minute.

“Barnes?” Sam laid a hand on his shoulder.

Bucky waved him off, never looking away from the spot where the love of his life had just… blinked away. “He’s just messing with us, he’s always been a jerk.” Sam sighed and dropped his hand.

“Sure, man. I’m sure he’ll just be a minute.” Neither of them moved.

He was vaguely aware of quiet descending. Bruce had stopped smashing at the console. Which was probably for the best, really, because if he changed too many settings, how would Steve even be able to get back? 

Nobody said anything for a long second, the longest second of Bucky’s life before -

“Guys, I don’t think he’s coming.”

The words seemed to echo in the clearing. Bucky ignored them. 

"Bucky?" Bruce was trying again. "Did you hear-" 

Bucky whirled around, finally looking away from that stupid platform. "Of course I heard you, but he always comes. Always." Even if it takes seventy years. Steve hadn't let him down yet. 

Sam said something to Bruce, voice downcast and wobbly, but Bucky wasn't listening to the conversation. He crouched on the grass, and went back to staring at the empty space where Steve had been. Where he was going to be. Where he had to be. 

*

The sky was dark and cloudless when someone finally came to disturb him. Bucky had never been the most hopeful man, that had always been Steve, and the cold and the quiet was starting to creep on him. But he couldn't… lose Steve. They'd only just got each other back. There's tears prickling at the back of his eyes just thinking about it. What's he supposed to _do_ without Steve?

"It's a nice night, isn't it." Bucky started, whirling around. So much for assassin's reflexes, since Pepper Potts had managed to sneak up on him with no problem. 

She wasn't looking at him, he noticed. He also noticed the red eyes, the impeccable hair paired with unwashed pyjamas, the chipped nail polish. She looked brittle. Unbroken, but this was a woman who was used to gluing things back together.

He didn't know how to reply to that. It would be a hell of a lot nicer if Steve brought his scrawny ass home again. 

She kept staring up at the stars. "Bruce said Steve didn't come back through the… didnt come back." 

Bucky didn't reply to that either. He just shook his head, not trusting himself to speak. 

"You know, I've spent the last ten years, terrified that one day, Tony just… wouldn't come back. He'd be fighting, and there wouldn't be a call, there'd just be nothing. He's… He was never the best at communicating when he was hurt. And I wouldn't know anything until someone was stood in front of me, telling me he was gone." 

She stopped and took a shaky breath, blinking at the ground. "I'm glad I was there, at the end. But I can't help but feel, if I hadn't seen it… Maybe I could still go and save him. That he was still out there." She finally turned to Bucky. "Tony's gone. And I'm coming to terms with it. But Steve doesn't have to be. You understand?" 

Bucky stared at her, comprehension blossoming. 

"Bruce is in the lab, trying to figure out a way to bring him back." She laughed wetly. "The irony is, Tony would have already solved it." She stared at him, steely and unbreakable. "We're not losing anyone else." She must have seen something in his face, because she nodded and stepped away after a moment.

He stared after her for a second before - 

"Hey, Pepper?" he called. Her figure stopped. "I'm sorry. For what I did to him."

She half turned. "You know, the only person left to forgive you is yourself. He was at peace." 

Silence settled as she left. Bucky sat there for a moment more, heart pounding, before making a decision. He had to go visit a thief - someone had to bring some of that stupid back. 

Whatever it takes. 

**Author's Note:**

> Being serious though, I loved the ending with Steve and Peggy so much, but uhhhhh why didn't Steve and Bucky talk at any point beyond the throwback to first Avenger which made me cry for the third time? (grand total of 4) Also I thought Endgame was so good even though I'm heartbroken.
> 
> Doesn't mean I have to accept it.
> 
> Get ready for some time travel shenanigans y'all, I'll tag more characters as and when they appear. Chapters will generally be longer than this, this is more of a prologue.
> 
> I'm also gonna come back and edit this once I've rewatched the film so the dialogue actually matches, this is about what my grief stricken brain remembered.


End file.
